In a bone marrow transplant, which step uses chemotherapy to kill diseased bone marrow?

In a bone marrow transplant, which step uses chemotherapy to kill diseased bone marrow?

• A. Chemo to kill diseased bone marrow
• B. Infusion of donor marrow through IV
• C. New marrow lodges and begins producing blood
• D. Monitoring for infection after transplant

Answer: (A)

The step is the preparative conditioning regimen. Before the donor cells are given, high-dose chemotherapy (often with radiation) is used to destroy the diseased bone marrow and to suppress the patient’s immune system. This clears space for the donor stem cells to engraft and reduces the risk of rejecting the transplant. The actual infusion of donor marrow comes next, then the new marrow lodges and begins producing blood, followed by post-transplant care such as monitoring for infection.